Part 22 (1/2)

IthadbeentheirbadluckthatbythemerestchanceIhadleftthedenuntillast.

Yoladisconnected,andafterthetwentysecondsgaponthetape,UncleBarkcalledupMattfromthedownstairstelephone.Matt'scommentsweremostlyinaudiblethoughdetectablyexplosive.Heagreedtogotothehouse,butnothingOffensaidgaveanyclueastowhereMattwasatthatmoment.Itappearedonlythathewa.s.somewherewithinareasonableradiusofLasVegas,ashewasgoingtobeabletodrivethere,seetothingsatthehouse,andgetbackintimetofeedthehorsesintheevening:whichnarroweditdowntosomewhereinanareaofroughlyahundredandfiftythousandsquaremiles.Apockethandkerchief.

Abrieftelephoneconversationofnointerestfollowedandthen,presumablyintheafternoon,Offenhadswitchedonhistelevisionsettowatcharacingprogramme.AsfarasIcouldtellfromspotchecks,ithadusedupthewholeoftherestofthefour-hourplayingtime.

Sighing,Iswitchedoff,andwentdownstairs.LynnieandEunice,dressedindazzlingcolours,weredrinkingdaiquirisandwatchingthePacificsunset.Igotanothercoolwelcomeandmonosyllabicreplytomyenquiriesabouttheirday.

FinallyEunicesaiddistantly,'DidyouhaveagoodtimeinSanFrancisco?'

Iblinked.'Yes,thankyou.'

TheyrelapsedintoalongersilencewhichwasbrokenonlybyawaitercomingtotellmeIwaswantedonthetelephone.

ItwasWalt.

'Whereareyou?'Isaid.

'LasVegasairport.'

'Howdiditgo?'

'Youcanrelax,'hesaidcomfortably.'ThehorsesareonasmallfarminavalleyinArizona,outbeyondKingman.WelandedthereandIaskedaroundsome.Seemsthecouplewhoownthefarmdon'tmakemuchofaliving,butlastweektheysaidafriendwasgivingthematriptoMiami,andayoungfellowwouldbelookingaftertheplacewhiletheywereaway.'

'That'sgreat,'Isaidwithemphasis.

'Thepaintmadeiteasy.Weheardhimyellingbluemurderwhenhesawit,butIguessithaddriedonbythenandhecouldn'tget.i.toff,becauseitwaswaypastmidday,andI'dbeguntoworrythathe'dgonealreadyandwehadn'theardhimorthatthey'dpickedyouupplantingthebug...anyway,wetookoffwhenhisenginestarted,andtheyellowsplashwaseasytoseefromaheight,justasyousaid.HewentrightthroughLasVegasandoutontotheHooverDamroadandacrossintoArizona.Ikeptthebinocularsonhimandweneverflewnearenoughforhimtonoticeus,I'mcertainofthat.Hewentupawindinggradedroadintothehillssouth-eastofKing-man,andthatwasit.'

'You'vedonemarvels.'

'Oh,sure.Itwa.s.simplerthanwewerepreparedfor,though.Youcouldhearthebugprettyclearlythroughthehelicopter'sheadsetsas.h.i.+ghastwothousandfeet,andwecouldhavefollowedhiminthedarkifwe'dhadto,especiallyashehadhisradioonformostoftheway.Wecouldhearmusicandnewsbroadcastsnowandthen.'

'Areyoucomingbacktonight?'

'Yeah,there'saplaneinahalfhourfromnow.But.i.t'llbebetterthanmidnightwhenIgetin.'

'I'llbeawake,'Isaid.'Andjustbytheway,Walt,whatdidyoutellEuniceandLynnieIwasdoinginSanFrancisco?'

Heclearedhisthroat.'Isaidyouhadsomeunfinishedbusinessthere.'

'Whatsortofbusiness?'

'Uh...like...er...female.'

'Thanks,'Isaidsarcastically.'You'rearightpal.'

SomethingverylikealaughlingeredinmyearasIdisconnected.

CHAPTERFIFTEEN.

LynnieandEunicetalkedbrightlytoeachotheroverdinnerandIsatmakingplansforthenextdayanddidn'tlisten.Politelyaftercoffeewepartedforthenight,andatelevenIdroveouttoOrpheuswithafreshreelforthereceiverintherocks,andbroughtbacktheoneIhadfittedearlier.

WaltcamebackintomyroomasIwasrunningitthrough,andwebothlistenedtoCulhamJamesOffentalkingtoMattandthentoYola.

Yolawasabetterbetfromourpointofview,becauseherangryfemininevoicescatteredhighersoundwavesoutofthereceiver,andonecouldimagineUncleBarkholdingitinchesawayoutofdeferencetohiseardrums.

Hewasdoinghisbesttosootheher.'Mattsaysitcouldhavebeenworse;someofthesevandalshavethrownmola.s.sesandpreservesandevensewagearoundinpeople'shouses...'

'Hesaysthewholeplaceiscoveredinflour...it'lltakeweekstoclearup.'

'It'llvacuumquiteeasily,won't.i.t?It'snotstickyanditdoesn'tstain.'

Butshecouldn'tbeconsoled,evenwhenheremindedherthatthemoneywa.s.safe,andthatherminkwraphadn'tbeenstolen.

'ButMattsays,'shewailed,'that.i.twaswhite.'

'Flourwillshakeout...andmightevencleanit.'

'Youdon'tunderstand.'

'SureIdo,Yola,'hesaidpatiently.'Youfeellikeitwasyouwhowasa.s.saulted,notyourhouse.Youfeeldirtyandfuriousandyou'dliketokicktheb.a.s.t.a.r.dswhodidit.Sure,Iknow.Wehadthievesinhereonce,whenyourAuntEllenwasalive.Theystoleallherrings,andshesaiditwaslikebeingraped.'

Theytalkedaboutthebreak-inforagoodwhilelonger,andWaltraisedaneyebrowandremaikedthatIseemedtohavegottenreasonablerevengeforthatclaponthehead.

WewerebothyawningbythetimeOffenwasthroughfortheevening.Thelasthalfhourconsistedofhimtellinghishouseboyhisplansandrequirements,andnoneofthesebetrayedanyanxietyoruncertainty.CulhamJameswasconfident,andIwasgladofit.Worriedmenpatroltheirdefences.

Waltwentofftobed,andalthoughIhadn'tsleptatallthepreviousnightIwokeagainafteronlythreehours.Thecolouredlightsontheoutsideofthemotelthrewprismaticreflectionsontheceiling.Istaredupatthem,tryingtomakepatternsandshapes,tryinganysillyrusetostopmymindfromnose-divingintothepit.Thetugoftheunfinishedchasewasveryfaint,andwhetherAllyxandShowmaneversiredanotherfoalseemedamatterofsupremeunimportance.Fraud,theft,attemptedmurder...whocared?

IhadlefttheLugerinitsbeltholsteracrosstheroomonachair.NeithertheClivesnorOffenwerelikelytocomecreepingthroughthenighttodomein,andmyusualenemiesweresixthousandmilestotheeast.Theonlydangerlayinmyself,thedeadliestenemyofthelot.Thetheorythatgoingtobedwiththegunoutofreachwouldlessenitsmagnetictemptationwasprovingadrearyflop.

Onemoreday,Ithoughtintheend.Anyonecouldmanagejustonemoreday.Ifyousaidthatfirmlyenougheverynight,onemightevenfinishthecourse.

Dawncreptuponthecolouredbulbsandwashedthemout.Itookashowerandshaved,andadmittedthatIhadseenhealthierlookingmenthantheoneinmyreflection.

WaltcamealongtomyroomwhenIwasmidwaythroughorangejuiceandcoffeeateight-thirty.'Whatyouneed,'hesaid,eyeingthis,'issomegoodsolidfood.'

'Idon'tfeelhungry.'

Hiseyesslidtomyfaceandaway.'Comeondownandeatwithme.'

Ishookmyhead.'I'llwaitforyou.'

Hewouldn'tgoalone.Heorderedhot-cakesandeggsandcoffeefromroomservice,andwegotstraightdowntobusinesswhilehedemolishedthem.

'It'lltaketwoandahalfdaysforSamHengelmantogettoKingman,'Isaid.

Henoddedwithhismouthfull.